Matt Maurer speaks to The Leaf about a Winnipeg cannabis company that sold illegal weed in Saskatchewan

Winnipeg-based licensed cannabis producer Bonify allegedly bought illegal marijuana, then sold it on the government-regulated market for recreational cannabis, a source with knowledge of the situation has told the Free Press.

If the allegations against Bonify are true, the company also stands to lose its valuable government permits to grow and sell marijuana, an attorney who specializes in corporate cannabis law said.

“If it turns out it’s true that a licensed producer knowingly bought illegal cannabis from the black market, and then sold it into the legal market knowingly, I don’t see how the government can do anything less than take their licence away,” said Matt Maurer, vice-chair of the cannabis law group at Toronto law firm Torkin Manes.

Players in Canada’s legal cannabis industry have worked hard “to overcome the stigma, and overcome the stereotypes and move into the mainstream and become a legalized industry,” he said.

“And this, if it’s true, is the type of thing that — it’s not accidental, you don’t do this by accident, you have to know what you’re doing. And basically, it’s almost inexcusable.”

This article was originally published on The Leaf. To read the article in its entirety, please visit The Leaf.